Note: Travel might push reports on Friday’s games to Sunday.
AAA: Round Rock 12, Las Vegas (OAK) 7
Round Rock: 15 hits, 2 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 5 walks, 3 strikeouts
Record: 19-16, 3.5 GB
SP Adrian Sampson: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 63 P / 38 S, 4.42 ERA
CF Derek Hill: 3-5, 2B, 3B, .342/.393/.667
LF Dustin Harris: 2-5, 2 2B, .271/.343/.415
DH Sam Huff: 2-5, HR (7), .271/.352/.564
2B Alex De Goti: 2-4, HR (1), .200/.263/.286
Welcome to AAA, Brady Blasso. The Oakland farmhand was tagged for nine runs in 2.1 innings in his Las Vegas debut.
Round Rock’s Reid Birlingmair didn’t fare well in his AAA debut either, allowing three runs and five runners in 1.2 innings, but he’s a creditable addition to the squad. He relied heavily on a cutter than ranged from 87 to 94, followed by a 94-96 fastball and a handful of traditional breakers. Unexceptional as a starter in Oakland’s system after being picked in 2018’s 28th round, Birlingmair was injured most of 2022 and released in August while still on the IL. Only two days later, he was pitching for indy Fargo-Moorhead. He continued there in 2023 until signing with Texas in June.
Elier Hernandez is reportedly signing with Japan’s Yomiuri Giants. As I’d mentioned when he was released at the end of April, a move overseas was the likely reason. If I can brag a little, I’ll refer to last July, when I said he and his agent should learn Japanese. Hernandez just seemed the type. He’s a mature, solid hitter who nevertheless was going to have a hard time sticking on a 40-man roster long enough to establish an up-and-down role. I was always happy to see him in the Round Rock lineup and wish him the best.
AA: Frisco 9, San Antonio (SDP) 5
Frisco: 11 hits, 5 walks, 3 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 3 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 19-11, 1 GB
SP Nick Krauth: 5.2 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 2 HBP, 4 SO, 96 P / 65 S, 6.15 ERA
RP Seth Clark: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 2.45 ERA
SS Max Acosta: 2-3, 2B, HBP, .245/.324/.315
1B Abimelec Ortiz: 2-4, .222/.288/.374
2B Frainyer Chavez: 3-4, 2B, .207/.337/.287
CF Daniel Mateo: 2-3, BB, SB (3), .111/.271/.111
The Riders batted 12 and scored seven in the 5th, aided by three Mission errors.
CF Daniel Mateo was hitless in his first four AA games but no longer. Mateo batted .258/.285/.398 in 133 high-A games spread across three seasons. He’s still just 22, and this is a stout assignment. One immediate improvement is eight walks, already only one shy of last year’s total in 110 games.
Hi-A: Hickory 4, @ Greenville (BOS) 2 (resumed from Wednesday)
Hickory: 9 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 7 walks, 9 strikeouts
Record: 11-17, tied for first
SP Mitch Bratt: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 0 SO, 24 P / 15 S, 6.16 ERA
RP Jackson Kelley: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 SO, 2.76 ERA
RP Leandro Lopez: 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 6 SO, 4.33 ERA
RP Skylar Hales: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 6.75 ERA
DH Yeison Morrobel: 3-4, 2B
C Ian Moller: 2-4, 2B, .161/.257/.210
3B Ben Blackwell: 1-3, 3B, .169/.289/.229
Just before rain halted affairs Wednesday, Mitch Bratt had walked two straight and reached 24 pitches. I didn’t see any of the game, but I imagine conditions were poor. Jackson Kelley did him a solid by entering the resumed contest and stranding three runners.
Hi-A: Hickory 2, @ Greenville (BOS) 5 (7)
Hickory: 7 hits, 1 walk, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 5 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
Record: 11-18, 5.5 GB
SP Luis Ramirez: 1.2 IP, 4 H (2 HR), 5 R, 2 BB, 1 SO, 60 P / 36 S, 8.82 ERA
RP Ivan Oviedo: 3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Adrian Rodriguez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 2.38 ERA
SS Cam Cauley: 1-3, HR (1), BB, .241/.267/.379
RF Yeison Morrobel: 2-3, BB, .224/.315/.316
Cam Cauley homered in his first plate appearance off the IL. Yeison Morrobel was 5-7 across the quasi-doubleheader.
Lo-A: Down East 2, Lynchburg (CLE) 1
Down East: 6 hits, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 1 walk, 14 strikeouts
Record: 13-16, 7.5 GB
SP Paul Bonzagni: 4 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 57 P / 44 S, 1.93 ERA
RP Kohl Drake: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 10 SO, 4.20 ERA
3B Gleider Figuereo: 1-3, BB, .218/.347/.485
RF Marcos Torres: 1-3, HR (1), .143/.239/.234
Since workloads are spread among so many players, seeing only two pitchers combine for nine innings almost feels a complete game. Drake’s ERA doesn’t wow, but he’s walked three and fanned 24 in 15 low-A innings. He also had one “we need a guy” outing in Frisco that was ugly, but that’s not his fault. I currently see around five active pitchers at levels where they don’t really belong, but the combination of injuries and (I’m guessing) the 165-man limit have forced some unusual assignments, and those guys need to be evaluated with grace.
Today’s Starters
AAA: Garabito
AA: Acker
Hi-A: Montalvo
Lo-A: TBA
Five Years Ago Yesterday
Cole Winn was promoted to Hickory, then a low-A squad. He’d earned rave reviews in extended spring training.